In the time honoured tradition of underwhelming Christmas gifts, surely none is quite so derisory as the government’s Christmas bonus for pensioners. Many recipients may not even notice it. A £10 payment by the Department for Work and Pensions, this tax-free bauble is sent to every state pensioner in the first week of December, plus those on carer’s allowance or pension credit. There is no fanfare from ministers, no letter from the DWP, it just quietly appears in the bank accounts of around 18 million people each and every year.

Nothing sums up the craven way our politicians deal with pensioners quite like the Christmas bonus

First conceived by Ted Heath’s government in 1972, it was originally greater than the state pension itself, and was designed to cover the cost of a family’s Christmas dinner. However, since 1977, its value has remained unchanged at £10 – meaning the only........

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